THE COMMUNITY FIRST MILE: STRATEGIES FOR BROADBAND ACCESS
The "Community First Mile" explores strategies for broadband access, from social vision to technology options and regulatory obstacles.
Facilitator: John Wilson (ABC Access to Broadband Campaign; Arwain.net)
Panel:
- Malcolm Matson (UK telecoms pioneer; Founder of COLT ; OpenPlanet)
- Julian Priest (Co-founder Consume.net; informal.org)
- Arun Mehta (Radiophony, India)
- Other participants tbc
Exploring vision, experiences, and strategy:
- Fired by a vision of advanced communications and community empowerment, grassroots activists have deployed off-the-shelf, no-licence wireless technologies to address the telco "last mile" problem in both rural and urban scenarios. "Wi-Fi" has led to the Wireless-Fibre vision for the Digital Commons.
- But whither the open communications vision as we look to the challenges ahead: the strategy of incumbent telcos (ADSL and FTTH), mobile operators, Wimax?
- We advocate an international platform for Open Spectrum. We engage the vision of Gigabit or Bust 2010.